“The Brunt of the Colonial Yoke Continues to Weigh on Us”: Understanding Africa’s Geopolitics as a Decolonial Struggle

Abstract

ABSTRACT The escalation of tensions in the global political arena is hardly a recent development. Presently, there’s a notable shift toward acknowledging the enduring impact of historical traumas such as slavery, World Wars, and colonialism on humans and nations. Colonialism dealt a significant blow to Africa, with the effects manifesting as trauma. Despite its colonial tragedy, a substantial body of literature recognizes the increasing agency of Africa. Thus, this study examines Africa’s evolving economic, political, and security tensions in light of its colonial history. It applies Postcolonial Theory and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as theoretical and analytical lenses to examine the speeches of twelve (12) African leaders who participated in the 2023 Russia-Africa Summit. I explore the pattern of issues discussed by these leaders in terms of their indicative nature of postcolonial trauma and examine how the speeches demonstrate Africa’s agency within the international political landscape. The findings reveal that African leaders tie their current political, economic, and security situations in their country to the remnants of colonialism and imperialism. Fueled with resentments, these leaders are more inclined to distrust the West but maintain trust in Russia and its “strategic” partnership. Therefore, in asserting to their agency, the analysis indicates a shift toward Africa’s interdependency and desired participation in big power politics with “sincere” support from Russia. This study highlights a significant trend in Africa’s geopolitical landscape, examining how colonialism has shaped the region’s political dynamics and impacted its diplomatic aspirations in today’s multipolar world.